Methods of verifying the onboard presence of a passenger, and related wireless electronic devices

ABSTRACT

Methods of verifying an onboard presence of a passenger of a transportation vehicle are provided. A method of verifying an onboard presence of a passenger of a transportation vehicle includes generating, via a wireless electronic device of the passenger while on board the transportation vehicle, different first and second data indicating the onboard presence of the passenger. Moreover, the method includes transmitting the different first and second data indicating the onboard presence of the passenger from the wireless electronic device to a server. Related wireless electronic devices, servers, and computer program products are also provided.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application is a 35 U.S.C. § 371 national phase applicationof PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US2018/063282, filed Nov. 30, 2018,which claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser.No. 15/840,831, filed Dec. 13, 2017, which itself claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/594,214, filed Dec. 4,2017, entitled Methods of Verifying the Onboard Presence of a Passenger,and Related Wireless Electronic Devices, the disclosures of which arehereby incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.

FIELD

The present inventive concepts relate to communications systems,methods, and devices and, more particularly, to systems, methods, anddevices that use communications to verify the physical presence of aperson.

BACKGROUND

In many jurisdictions, an airplane passenger may be required to verifythat the passenger was on board a particular flight from onejurisdiction to another jurisdiction, such as from one country toanother country. For example, to qualify for duty-free shopping, apassenger may be required to present a boarding pass. Similarly, whenflying from one country to another, a passenger may need to file, at anairport, a form to obtain a refund for the passenger's payment of avalue-added tax.

SUMMARY

According to some embodiments of the present inventive concepts, methodsof verifying an onboard presence of a passenger of a transportationvehicle are provided. The methods may include generating, via a wirelesselectronic device of the passenger while on board the transportationvehicle, different first and second data indicating the onboard presenceof the passenger. Moreover, the methods may include transmitting thedifferent first and second data indicating the onboard presence of thepassenger from the wireless electronic device to a server.

In some embodiments, the transportation vehicle may be an aircraft, andthe transmitting may be performed by the wireless electronic devicewhile on board the aircraft. Additionally or alternatively, the firstdata indicating the onboard presence of the passenger may be boardingpass data, and the generating may include generating the boarding passdata by using a camera of the wireless electronic device. For example,the generating the boarding pass data may include scanning, via thecamera of the wireless electronic device, a bar code or QR code of aphysical boarding pass of the passenger. Additionally or alternatively,the generating the boarding pass data may include taking a photograph,via the camera of the wireless electronic device, of a physical boardingpass of the passenger. Moreover, the transmitting may includetransmitting the photograph of the physical boarding pass of thepassenger from the wireless electronic device to the server.

According to some embodiments, the second data indicating the onboardpresence of the passenger may include an identification of alocal-area-network access point that is on board the transportationvehicle, and the generating may include generating the identification ofthe local-area-network access point by using the wireless electronicdevice to access the local-area-network access point. For example, thelocal-area-network access point may include a Wi-Fi access point that ison board the transportation vehicle, and the generating may includegenerating an identification of the Wi-Fi access point by using thewireless electronic device to access a service provided via the Wi-Fiaccess point.

In some embodiments, the first data indicating the onboard presence ofthe passenger may include biometric data of the passenger, and thegenerating may include generating the biometric data by using a cameraor other sensor of the wireless electronic device. Additionally oralternatively, the second data indicating the onboard presence of thepassenger may include location data of the transportation vehicle, andthe generating may include generating the location data of thetransportation vehicle by using a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver of the wireless electronic device. Moreover, the transportationvehicle may include an aircraft, and the location data may includealtitude data of the aircraft. Furthermore, the transmitting may beperformed by the wireless electronic device while bypassing any localarea network of the aircraft, after the passenger disembarks from aflight of the aircraft.

According to some embodiments, the transportation vehicle may be anaircraft, the second data indicating the onboard presence of thepassenger may include altitude data of the aircraft, and the generatingmay include generating the altitude data of the transportation vehicleby using a barometer of the wireless electronic device.

In some embodiments, the first data indicating the onboard presence ofthe passenger may include boarding pass data, and the second dataindicating the onboard presence of the passenger may include anidentification of a local-area-network access point that is on board thetransportation vehicle. Moreover, the transmitting may includetransmitting first and second time stamps indicating when the boardingpass data and the identification of the local-area-network access point,respectively, were generated by the wireless electronic device.

According to some embodiments, the first data indicating the onboardpresence of the passenger may include boarding pass data, and the seconddata indicating the onboard presence of the passenger may includelocation data of the transportation vehicle. Moreover, the transmittingmay include transmitting first and second time stamps indicating whenthe boarding pass data and the location data, respectively, weregenerated by the wireless electronic device.

In some embodiments, the methods may include initiating, via thewireless electronic device while at a first physical location includinga store, a transaction to purchase one or more items from the store.Moreover, the methods may include completing, via the wirelesselectronic device while at a second physical location outside of thestore, the transaction in response to verifying an identity and/orlocation of the passenger. The second physical location may include alocation on board the transportation vehicle, and the verifying mayinclude performing the generating and the transmitting.

According to some embodiments, the methods may include accessing, via aweb page or an application that is resident on the wireless electronicdevice, a database to verify whether the passenger has purchased amaximum amount of duty-free purchases for a particular jurisdiction.Additionally or alternatively, the methods may include transmittingthird data indicating that the passenger has arrived at a destination.

In some embodiments, a wireless electronic device may be configured toperform any combination or subcombination of the methods describedherein. Additionally or alternatively, a computer program product may beprovided that includes a non-transitory computer readable storage mediumincluding computer readable program code therein that when executed by aprocessor causes the processor to perform any combination orsubcombination of the methods described herein.

Wireless electronic devices, according to some embodiments of thepresent inventive concepts, may include a processor configured togenerate different first and second data indicating a presence of apassenger on board a transportation vehicle. The wireless electronicdevices may also include a transceiver configured to transmit thedifferent first and second data indicating the presence of the passengerfrom the wireless electronic device to a server. Moreover, the wirelesselectronic devices may include a camera, and the processor may befurther configured to generate the first data by using the camera tocapture an image of a boarding pass of the passenger. Analogous methodsand/or computer program products also may be provided.

Methods of verifying, via a server, according to some embodiments of thepresent inventive concepts, an onboard presence of a passenger of atransportation vehicle may be provided. The methods may includereceiving at the server, from a wireless electronic device of thepassenger, different first and second data indicating the onboardpresence of the passenger. The methods may include processing thedifferent first and second data at the server. Moreover, the methods mayinclude transmitting a result of the processing from the server to athird party. Analogous servers, wireless electronic devices, and/orcomputer program products also may be provided.

In some embodiments, the processing may include comparing the differentfirst and second data with predetermined values corresponding to thetransportation vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the transmittingmay include transmitting an authorization to complete a transaction topurchase one or more items initiated via the wireless electronic deviceat a physical store. Moreover, the methods may include receiving at theserver, from the wireless electronic device of the passenger, third dataindicating that the passenger has arrived at a destination. Analogousservers, wireless electronic devices, and/or computer program productsalso may be provided.

According to some embodiments, a server may configured to perform anycombination or subcombination of the methods of verifying, via a server,the onboard presence of the passenger of the transportation vehicledescribed herein. Additionally or alternatively, a computer programproduct may be provided that includes a non-transitory computer readablestorage medium including computer readable program code therein thatwhen executed by a processor causes the processor to perform anycombination or subcombination of the methods described herein. Analogouswireless electronic devices and/or methods also may be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a geographical area thatincludes a wireless electronic device, according to some embodiments ofthe present inventive concepts.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are flowcharts illustrating operations of verifyingthe identity and/or location of a passenger of a transportation vehicle,according to some embodiments of the present inventive concepts.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a wireless electronic device, according tosome embodiments of the present inventive concepts.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a graphical user interface of a wirelesselectronic device, according to some embodiments of the presentinventive concepts.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example processor and memory that may beused in accordance with embodiments of the present inventive concepts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments of the present inventive concepts now will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. The presentinventive concepts may, however, be embodied in a variety of differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments setforth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey thescope of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Inthe drawings, like designations refer to like elements.

Some embodiments of the present inventive concepts provide forverification that a person was on board a flight, without requiring acheck at an airport gate or checking/accessing (e.g.,consulting/inquiring) any passenger log data.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a wireless electronic device 101 is illustrated ina geographical area 102. The wireless electronic device 101 may be (ormay be a part of) one of various types of wireless electronic userdevices, including mobile/cell phones, as well as wireless user deviceswithout phone capabilities. For example, the wireless electronic device101 may be a smartphone 101S, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, orany other portable, wireless electronic device with communicationscapability. The wireless electronic device 101 can be located anywhereinside the geographical area 102. Moreover, the wireless electronicdevice 101 can, in some embodiments, be located inside an aircraft 120A(or other transportation vehicle 120). Although FIG. 1 illustrates asingle wireless electronic device 101, a plurality of wirelesselectronic devices 101 may be located inside the geographical area 102or inside the aircraft 120A. As an example, in some embodiments,hundreds, thousands, or more wireless electronic devices 101 may belocated inside the geographical area 102.

The wireless electronic device 101 may wirelessly receive signals fromtransmitters such as a Base Station (BS)(e.g., a cellular BS), asatellite, and/or a Positioning Beacon (PB) of a Terrestrial BeaconNetwork (TBN). It will be understood that the geographical area 102 mayinclude any number of (e.g., three, four, dozens, or more) BSs and/orPBs. Moreover, the wireless electronic device 101 may receive signalsfrom a Wi-Fi hot spot 121W (or other local-area-network access point121) in the geographical area 102 (or in the aircraft 120A) and/or a GPSnetwork 174. Accordingly, it will be understood that the physicalpresence (e.g., location/position) of the wireless electronic device 101may be determined using signals to/from the BSs, PBs, the Wi-Fi hot spot121W, and/or the GPS network 174. For example, in some embodiments, aserver 135 (or other remote computer/processor) that is communicativelyconnected to a BS and/or Wi-Fi hot spot 121W may process data regardingthe physical presence of the wireless electronic device 101.

In some embodiments of the present inventive concepts, a resident(and/or a remote, cloud-based) application used by a smartphone 101S (orother wireless electronic device 101 with communications capability) mayscan, or take a photo of, a passenger's boarding pass for a flight. Thescan or photo may be initiated by the passenger or can be automatic(e.g., can be initiated by the application resident on the smartphone101S). For example, an image of the boarding pass may be captured whilethe passenger is on board the flight for which the boarding pass isrequired.

The application resident on the smartphone 101S may transmit informationgenerated by scanning or photographing a physical (e.g., paper) boardingpass. For example, if the scan is a barcode scan or QR code scan, thendata generated by the scan may be transmitted. If, on the other hand, aphoto of the boarding pass is taken, then the photo may be transmitted.

The application may also transmit an identification of an access point121, such as a Wi-Fi access point 121W or other local-area-communicationaccess point that is used by the smartphone 101S while on board theflight. The identification may include, for example, a Media AccessControl address (MAC address) of the access point 121 and/or a ServiceSet Identifier (SSID) of the access point 121. By transmitting boardingpass data and an identification of an access point 121 that is on boardthe flight, the passenger's physical presence on board the flight can beverified via the smartphone/device application. This is one example oftransmitting two different data indicating onboard presence to providetwo-factor (or as a part of providing other multi-factor, such asthree-factor) authentication.

Additionally or alternatively, if no local-area-communication method isavailable, then the smartphone/device application may determine itslocation/altitude using Global Positioning System (GPS) capability(e.g., GPS hardware and/or software) of the smartphone 101S. Forexample, the smartphone 101S may include a GPS receiver that isconfigured to determine the location/altitude while the passenger isonboard the aircraft 120A.

The boarding pass data and access point identification (e.g., MACaddress and/or SSID) may be transmitted by the smartphone/deviceapplication to a server 135 (e.g., at a data center) to provideverification of the passenger's presence on board the flight. Thetransmission to the server 135 may be completed while the passenger ison board the flight or, if communications are not available on theflight, after the flight (e.g., after disembarkation of the flight).Some local-area-networks, such as Wi-Fi, may not allow the applicationto transmit data. As long as the application has a time stamp of theboarding pass data and the access point data (or GPS location/altitude)that can be stored via the application, a verification can be performed.After the server 135 processes/performs the verification, it maytransmit the result to a third-party, such as an airline, a duty-freeshopping merchant, or an organization that provides value-added taxrefunds.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a flowchart is provided illustrating operations ofverifying an onboard presence of a passenger of a transportation vehicle120, such as the aircraft 120A, according to the present inventiveconcepts. As the passenger is the user/owner of the wireless electronicdevice 101 (e.g., a smartphone 101S), verifying the onboard presence ofthe wireless electronic device 101 may provide a verification of theonboard presence of the passenger.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the wireless electronic device 101 may scan orphotograph (Block 210) a boarding pass of the passenger while onboardthe transportation vehicle 120. As a result, the wireless electronicdevice 101 may generate data indicating the onboard presence of thepassenger. The wireless electronic device 101 may generate additional,different data indicating the onboard presence of the passenger byconnecting to a local-area-network access point 121, such as a Wi-Fi hotspot 121W that is on board the transportation vehicle 120. Theadditional, different data may be an identification/identifier (ID) ofthe access point 121. For example, the ID of the access point 121 may bea predetermined ID, such as a MAC address and/or an SSID, that isknown/stored by a server 135. Accordingly, operations described hereinof “generating” an ID may refer to copying/storing a predetermined ID atthe wireless electronic device 101 before transmitting the ID. Theaccess point ID transmitted by the wireless electronic device 101 canthen be compared (e.g., by a server 135) with a known/stored accesspoint ID to verify the presence of the wireless electronic device 101 onboard the transportation vehicle 120 having the access point 121.

When the access point 121 is inside an aircraft 120A, a person outsideof the aircraft 120A may not be able to connect to the access point 121,as a network/service provided via the access point 121 may not becomeenabled/accessible until wireless electronic devices 101 are approvedfor use after take-off (and/or after reaching a threshold altitude, suchas 10,000 feet or higher) of the aircraft 120A. This may ensure that apassenger using the wireless electronic device 101 to connect to theaccess point 121 is on board (and not merely nearby) the aircraft 120A.In some embodiments, a provider of a Wi-Fi service that is accessiblevia a Wi-Fi access point 121W on an aircraft 120A may have anagreement/contract with an airline to allow passengers to connect with,and transmit data indicating the passengers' onboard presence through,the Wi-Fi access point 121W, at no additional charge to the passengers.

Additionally or alternatively, a passenger's onboard presence can beverified by providing (i) GPS/altitude data, (ii) data indicating thatthe aircraft 120A is in/above a jurisdiction different from that of thetake-off location, and/or (iii) a time stamp indicating when thewireless electronic device 101 accessed the access point 121, inaddition to (or as an alternative to) providing an ID of the accesspoint 121. For example, when the ID of an access point 121 is providedby a passenger as part of the multi-factor authentication describedherein, the multi-factor authentication may use at least three factors.

In some embodiments, the generation of data can be prompted by anapplication resident on the wireless electronic device 101. For example,upon starting/opening the application, the application may automaticallyinitiate camera functionality of the wireless electronic device 101and/or may prompt the passenger to scan/photograph the boarding pass viathe wireless electronic device 101. Additionally or alternatively, theapplication may prompt the passenger to provide one or more otheridentifying data via user input(s). As an example, the application mayprompt the passenger to provide a face scan or a fingerprint scan.

After the operation(s) of Block 210, the wireless electronic device 101may then transmit (Block 220) the boarding pass data and the accesspoint ID to a server 135 (e.g., at a data center), if the access point121 is available on board the transportation vehicle 120 (Block 215).For example, the wireless electronic device 101 may generate/store theaccess point ID in response to using the wireless electronic device 101to access a service (e.g., an in-flight entertainment and/or shoppingservice) that is provided via the access point 121.

In some embodiments, the transmitting (Block 220) operation(s) may beperformed while the passenger is on board the transportation vehicle120, such as via the access point 121. Alternatively, the transmitting(Block 220) operation(s) may be performed while bypassing any local areanetwork (including bypassing the access point 121) of the aircraft 120A,after the passenger completes a flight of the aircraft 120A. Moreover,although Block 220 illustrates transmitting boarding pass data and anaccess point ID, it will be understood that other examples of differentfirst and second data indicating the onboard presence of the passengermay be transmitted from the wireless electronic device 101 to the server135.

For example, if the access point 121 is not available (Block 215), thenthe wireless electronic device 101 may determine (Block 217) itslocation via GPS, and may transmit the boarding pass data and locationdata to the server 135. Other examples of data indicating the onboardpresence of the passenger include facial recognition of the passenger,fingerprint recognition of the passenger, and the speed (i.e., velocity)of the transportation vehicle 120 as measured by the wireless electronicdevice 101 (e.g., by accelerometer(s)/gyroscope(s) 359 (FIG. 3 )therein). As an example, the measured speed of the aircraft 120A whileairborne should exceed the speed of a car or a train, and thus can beused (e.g., by comparing with a predetermined threshold value) to verifythat the passenger is airborne. Furthermore, in some embodiments, thetransmitting operations of Blocks 217 and 220 may include transmittingrespective time stamps indicating when the different data were generatedby wireless electronic device 101, thus further verifying that thepassenger was airborne when the data were generated.

After the wireless electronic device 101 performs the operations ofBlocks 210-220, the server 135/data center, which may include one ormore remote computers/processors, may perform the operations of Blocks230 and 240. In particular, upon receiving the different data indicatingthe onboard presence of the passenger, the server 135 may process (Block230) the different data at the server 135. For example, the server 135may compare the different data with predetermined values correspondingto the transportation vehicle 120. As an example, the server 135 maycompare the different data with flight data, such as a flightpath/altitude, of an aircraft 120A, or with other expected values forthe aircraft 120A. The result of the processing/verification (Block 230)may then be transmitted (Block 240) from the server 135 to a thirdparty. By this result (e.g., YES or NO), the server 135 indicates to thethird party whether the passenger is physically present onboard thetransportation vehicle 120.

Accordingly, the server 135 may perform a check on the boarding passdata and the access point data (or GPS location/altitude) and mayconfirm that the passenger is/was on board the particular flight. Suchdata can be used by providers of any relevant business, such asduty-free shopping, or by organizations that use such verification forvalue-added tax refunds or any relevant legal use.

In addition to, or as an alternative to, checking/using an access point121 that is on board the transportation vehicle 120, the arrival of thepassenger at a destination can be confirmed via the passenger's wirelesselectronic device 101 after disembarking the transportation vehicle 120.For example, the passenger's boarding pass (e.g., an electronic and/orphysical/paper boarding pass) may indicate a departing airport and anarrival airport, and an application resident on the passenger's wirelesselectronic device 101 can check/access one or more Wi-Fi access points121W (and, in some embodiments, can transmit ID(s) thereof) at thearrival airport to confirm that the passenger has arrived at thedestination. In some embodiments, the passenger's wireless electronicdevice 101 may also check/access one or more Wi-Fi access points 121W atthe departing airport to identify the passenger's presence/locationbefore departing for the destination.

Such checking/accessing of Wi-Fi access points 121W at the arrivalairport and/or the departing airport may be performed via a database,such as an application database that the resident application has storedor a remote/outsourced database of access point 121 identifiers that thewireless electronic device 101 can check. For example, the applicationdatabase may list Wi-Fi access points 121W that the wireless electronicdevice 101 has actively/physically checked/accessed and/or may listWi-Fi access points 121W that are known to be at a particular location.In some embodiments, the resident application may compare the Wi-Fiaccess point(s) 121W accessed by the wireless electronic device 101 withthe known Wi-Fi access points 121W.

Moreover, the passenger can input (e.g., in response to a prompt/requestfrom the resident application) biometric data, such as via a fingerprintscan or a face scan, at the departing airport and/or the arrivalairport, to confirm that another person is not using the wirelesselectronic device 101 and/or the boarding pass. Additionally oralternatively, the wireless electronic device 101 may submit a timestamp indicating when the passenger is/was at the departing airportand/or the arrival airport.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a flowchart is provided illustrating operations ofauthorizing a transaction by a passenger in response to verifying theidentity and/or location of the passenger. The passenger may initiate(Block 205) a transaction, such as a purchase of an item (or items), ata first physical location that is a physical store, such as a duty-freeshop at an airport. The initiation (Block 205) may be performed via thepassenger's wireless electronic device 101, such as by a mobile paymentapplication running on the wireless electronic device 101 while withinclose/short-range communications distance with a mobile payment (i.e.,point-of-sale) terminal/reader at the physical store. In particular, theinitiation (Block 205) may be performed between the wireless electronicdevice 101 and the mobile payment terminal/reader via aclose/short-range first air interface (e.g., an NFC interface), inresponse to the wireless electronic device 101 satisfying a proximitycriterion with respect to (e.g., by being moved within a few centimetersof) the mobile payment terminal/reader.

The transaction may then be authorized by verifying (Block 230′) thepassenger's identity and/or location while the wireless electronicdevice 101 is in a distinct, separate second physicallocation/jurisdiction from the first physical location. For example, apassenger may initiate (Block 205) the transaction based on theproximity of the passenger's wireless electronic device 101 to apoint-of-sale device at a duty-free shop in a first jurisdiction. Thepassenger may then authorize/verify (Block 230′) the transaction in adifferent, remote second jurisdiction by confirming arrival at thesecond jurisdiction. The passenger may confirm arrival by (i) connectingthe wireless electronic device 101 to, and identifying (e.g.,transmitting an ID of), an access point 121 at an arrival airport, by(ii) transmitting a GPS location from the second jurisdiction, and/or by(iii) transmitting biometric data and/or a time stamp from the secondjurisdiction.

As an example, the verifying operation(s) of Block 230′ may be theoperations of Blocks 210-240 of FIG. 2A. Accordingly, the operation(s)of Block 205 may precede/trigger those of Blocks 210-240. Moreover, insome embodiments, the jurisdiction (e.g., country) of the secondphysical location may be the same as that of the first physical locationas long as the second physical location is outside of the physicalstore. Alternatively, the second physical location may only be anairborne location or a location in a different country from the physicalstore.

An example of the operations of Blocks 205 and 230′ is that a passengermay walk into a duty-free shop at an airport and initiate (Block 205) apurchase using the passenger's smartphone 101S at the point of sale. Atthis stage (Block 205), the transaction has been initiated but notcompleted. The passenger may also provide the mailing address where thepurchased item(s) is to be mailed when the transaction in complete.After initiating (Block 205) the transaction at the first physicallocation, the passenger travels to a second physical location (e.g., anairborne location and/or another country), where the passenger'slocation (determined based on the smartphone 101S via local area accesspoint(s) 121/GPS) and/or identity can be verified (Block 230′).Moreover, in some embodiments (e.g., in certain jurisdictions), thepassenger may be required to scan a boarding pass at the new/secondphysical location, thus further increasing the verification accuracy.Additionally or alternatively, the passenger may be required to scan theboarding pass at the mailing address of delivery of the purchaseditem(s) and/or to provide local area access point verification at thatpoint. All of the verification data may be provided by the passenger viaan application of the smartphone 101S.

Based on this verification (Block 230′), which may be processed by aserver 135 (e.g., a server of the duty-free shop or a third party), thetransaction is deemed completed (Block 250) and the purchased item(s)can be mailed (Block 260) to the passenger directly, thus providing aduty-free direct shipping service. Furthermore, the operations of FIG.2B may, in some embodiments of the present inventive concepts, beperformed independently of the presence of the passenger on board atransportation vehicle 120.

In some embodiments, the identity/location of a person/traveler can beverified by a phone call to/from the person/traveler that is used tocompare the person's/traveler's voice during the call to a stored copyof the person's/traveler's voice. For example, the voice comparison maybe used to verify the identity, and GPS may be used to verify thelocation. Accordingly, a combination of identity and location can beverified. As another example, a person can take a picture of himselfthat includes a background (e.g., a landmark that is unique to aparticular location) to confirm the identity and location of thatperson.

Moreover, referring to FIG. 2C, a flowchart is provided illustratingoperations for confirming the arrival of a passenger at a destination ofa transportation vehicle 120, independently of identifying/confirmingthe presence of the passenger on board the transportation vehicle 120.The method may include generating (Block 217′), via a wirelesselectronic device 101 of the passenger while at the destination,different first and second (or more) data indicating the identity and/orlocation of the passenger. For example, the different first and seconddata may be biometric data and location data, respectively. As anexample, the location data may include GPS data and/or data identifyingan access point 121 at the destination. The method may also includetransmitting (Block 220′) the different first and second data indicatingthe identity and/or location of the passenger from the wirelesselectronic device 101 to a server 135 (and/or a data center).

The operations of Blocks 217′ and 220′ may be performed withoutidentifying/confirming the onboard presence of the passenger and/orwithout using boarding pass data. Accordingly, although some embodimentsherein describe onboard presence and boarding pass data, the presentinventive concepts are not limited to onboard presence and boarding passdata. After performing the operations of Blocks 217′ and 220′, theoperations of Blocks 230 and/or 240 of FIG. 2A may be performed.

Referring to FIG. 3 , a block diagram is provided of a wirelesselectronic device (or “wireless electronic user device”) 101, such as asmartphone 101S, according to some embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a wireless electronic device 101 may include an antenna system 346, atransceiver 342, a processor (e.g., processor circuit) 351, and a memory353. Moreover, the wireless electronic device 101 may optionally includea display 354, a user interface 352, a microphone/speaker 350, one ormore accelerometers/gyroscopes 359, a camera 358, a barometer 357,and/or a fingerprint (or other biometric) sensor 356.

A transmitter portion of the transceiver 342 may convert information,which is to be transmitted by the wireless electronic device 101, intoelectromagnetic signals suitable for radio communications. A receiverportion of the transceiver 342 may demodulate electromagnetic signals,which are received by the wireless electronic device 101 (e.g., from oneof the transmitters illustrated in FIG. 1 ). The transceiver 342 mayinclude transmit/receive circuitry (TX/RX) that provides separatecommunication paths for supplying/receiving RF signals to differentradiating elements of the antenna system 346 via their respective RFfeeds. Accordingly, when the antenna system 346 includes two activeantenna elements, the transceiver 342 may include two transmit/receivecircuits 343, 345 connected to different ones of the antenna elementsvia the respective RF feeds. For example, the transmit/receive circuit343 may be connected to a Wi-Fi antenna or a close/short-range (e.g., aNear-Field Communication (NFC) or BLUETOOTH®) antenna, whereas thetransmit/receive circuit 345 may be connected to a cellular antenna.Moreover, the antenna system 346/transceiver 342 may include a GPSreceiver.

Referring still to FIG. 3 , the memory 353 can store computer programinstructions that, when executed by the processor circuit 351, carry outoperations of the wireless electronic device 101. Additionally oralternatively, the server 135 may include a memory 353 that can storecomputer program instructions that, when executed by a processor circuit351 of the server 135, carry out operations of the server 135. In someembodiments, the memory 353 can be a non-transitory computer readablestorage medium including computer readable program code therein thatwhen executed by the processor 351 causes the processor 351 to perform amethod described herein. As an example, the memory 353 can store theresident application described herein, which can perform the operationsillustrated in Blocks 210-220 of the flow chart of FIG. 2A. The memory353 can be, for example, a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory,that retains the stored data while power is removed from the memory 353.

Referring to FIG. 4 , a diagram of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) 410of a wireless electronic device 101 (e.g., a smartphone 101S) isprovided, according to some embodiments. The GUI 410 illustrates an webpage or resident application that facilitates (e.g., guides thepassenger through) the operations of Blocks 210-220 of FIG. 2A. Forexample, FIG. 4 shows that the web page or resident application mayprompt the passenger to scan/photograph the passenger's boarding pass.As an example, the GUI 410 may display a user-selectable button 410-1that initiates camera functionality to scan/photograph the boardingpass. Alternatively, camera functionality to scan/photograph theboarding pass may be automatically initiated upon opening/starting theweb page or resident application, and the button 410-1 may be omitted.

In addition to the button 410-1, the GUI 410 may display auser-selectable button 410-2 that initiates connecting/communicatingwith a local area access point 121 and storing an ID of the local areaaccess point 121. Alternatively, connecting/communicating with the localarea access point 121 and storing its ID may be automatically initiatedupon opening/starting the web page or resident application, and thebutton 410-2 may be omitted. Moreover, in some embodiments, the web pageor resident application may cause the wireless electronic device 101 toautomatically connect/communicate with the local area access point 121and transmit the boarding pass data and access point ID to a server 135,in response to scanning/photographing the boarding pass and/or inresponse to opening/starting the web page or resident application.

In some embodiments, the GUI 410 may display a user-selectable button410-3 that initiates a face scan or a fingerprint scan of the passenger.For example, if accessing an ID of the local area access point 121 isnot available, or if data transmissions by the wireless electronicdevice 101 via the local area access point 121 are not available, thenthe passenger may select the button 410-3. Moreover, in someembodiments, the button 410-2 may be automatically omitted if accessingan ID of the local area access point 121 is not available or if datatransmissions by the wireless electronic device 101 via the local areaaccess point 121 are not available.

It will be understood that the buttons 410-1, 410-2, and 410-3 may beselected via user inputs by the passenger, such as via inputs to atouchscreen of the wireless electronic device 101. In some embodiments,other user inputs, such as inputs via a stylus, cursor, or keypad, maybe used.

Additionally or alternatively, a passenger of a flight mayorder/purchase items via a web page or resident application that isaccessed by the wireless electronic device 101. Accordingly, the GUI 410may display user-selectable options for purchasing items, such asduty-free items. In some cases, the passenger may attempt to unlawfullypurchase multiple (i.e., two or more) items via the web page or residentapplication. In particular, the passenger may attempt to use the webpage or resident application (e.g., by using the web page or residentapplication repeatedly for purchases) to circumvent rules/systems andtake items in excess of an amount allowed by a particular jurisdiction'scustoms.

This may be a problem for certain jurisdictions. This problem can besolved, however, in cooperation with duty-free shops (or bondedwarehouses for duty-free export). For example, the web page or residentapplication can access a database of an airport/airline duty-free shopto verify that the passenger exporting (or entity exporting on behalf ofthe passenger) has not already purchased a maximum amount (e.g., has notexceeded personal-use quantities of duty-free merchandise) allowed by acertain (i.e., particular) jurisdiction. As an example, the operationsof Blocks 220, 220′, 230, and/or 230′ of FIGS. 2A-2C may includeaccessing, via the web page or resident application, the database toverify whether the passenger has purchased the maximum amount. If themaximum amount has already been purchased, then the web page or residentapplication may block subsequent purchases for that passenger.Accordingly, the web page or resident application can provide safeguardsagainst excess duty-free purchases.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an example processor 351 andmemory 353 that may be used in accordance with various embodiments ofthe present inventive concepts. The processor 351 communicates with thememory 353 via an address/data bus 590. The processor 351 may be, forexample, a commercially available or custom microprocessor. Moreover,the processor 351 may include multiple processors. The memory 353 isrepresentative of the overall hierarchy of memory devices containing thesoftware and data used to implement various functions as describedherein. The memory 353 may include, but is not limited to, the followingtypes of devices: cache, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash, Static RAM(SRAM), and Dynamic RAM (DRAM).

Referring to FIG. 5 , the memory 353 may hold various categories ofsoftware and data, such as an operating system 583. The processor 351and memory 353 may be part of a wireless electronic device 101 or aserver 135. Accordingly, the operating system 583 can control operationsof the wireless electronic device 101 or the server 135. In particular,the operating system 583 may manage the resources of the wirelesselectronic device 101 or the server 135 and may coordinate execution ofvarious programs (e.g., a resident application described herein) by theprocessor 351.

Embodiments described herein can greatly enhance (e.g., by simplifying)the duty-free shopping experience. Moreover, a passenger does not haveto carry duty-free shopping items on board a flight. Rather, such itemscan be delivered directly to an address (e.g., a residential or businessaddress) of the passenger's choosing.

Although the use of a boarding pass and a local area access pointidentification (e.g., identification of on board Wi-Fi), and respectivetime stamps by a smartphone 101S, provides one example of the presentinventive concepts, the present inventive concepts are not limitedthereto. Rather, other forms of identifying the passenger can be usedinstead of the boarding pass. For example, biometrics such asfingerprint recognition and/or facial recognition can be used in theplace of the boarding pass. As another example, as smartphones 101S mayhave a built-in barometer 357, such a barometer 357 can be used tomeasure altitude/change in altitude and thus can provide another way toverify whether a person is airborne.

Nor are the present inventive concepts limited to duty-free shopping.Rather, some embodiments may be used to enhance (e.g., simplify)security protocols. For example, airlines may wish to verify that therespective owners of checked bags on an aircraft 120A are on board. If apassenger is not present on the aircraft 120A, then any bag checked bythe passenger may be removed or blocked from loading. Accordingly, thepresent inventive concepts herein may be applied to airline securityprotocols to improve efficiency and/or effectiveness.

The following are non-limiting examples/use-cases of the presentinventive concepts:

-   -   1. A passenger of a transportation vehicle 120 (e.g., an        aircraft 120A) can qualify for duty-free shopping without        presenting a boarding pass at an airport for purchased duty-free        merchandise. This can be accomplished by verifying, via the        two-factor authentication described herein, that the passenger        was on board a particular flight from one jurisdiction to        another jurisdiction.    -   2. A passenger of an aircraft 120A can obtain a refund for the        passenger's payment of a value-added tax without filing, at an        airport, a form to obtain the refund. This can be accomplished        by verifying, via the two-factor authentication described        herein, that the passenger was on board a particular flight from        one jurisdiction to another jurisdiction.    -   3. An airline, and/or a security agency, can verify that an        owner of one or more checked bags (i.e., checked luggage) is on        board the aircraft 120A for which the bag(s) have been checked.        This can be accomplished by verifying, via the two-factor        authentication described herein, whether the passenger is on        board the aircraft 120A.    -   4. A passenger of an aircraft 120A can initiate, without        completing, a purchase via a smartphone 101S at a point-of-sale        in a duty-free shop at an airport. The purchase can subsequently        be completed at a different physical location based on        verification of the passenger's identity and/or location, via        the two-factor authentication described herein.    -   5. A jurisdiction can safeguard against excess duty-free        purchases by verifying, when a passenger attempts to purchase        duty-free merchandise remotely via a web page or resident        application of a wireless electronic device 101, whether the        passenger has already purchased a maximum amount of duty-free        merchandise for that jurisdiction.    -   6. The arrival of a passenger at a destination (e.g., an arrival        airport) can be confirmed. For example, when a minor is escorted        aboard an aircraft 120A, the present inventive concepts can be        used to confirm that the minor has arrived at the destination        after disembarking the aircraft 120A. As another example, the        present inventive concepts can be used for immigration purposes        to confirm that a person has exited one country and/or entered        another country. In instances where the passenger has visitor        status in a country, or otherwise should only have a        limited-duration stay in the country, a resident application of        a wireless electronic device 101 of the passenger can        check/verify after a predetermined duration whether the        passenger has exited the country. In some examples, authorities        can require that the passenger download the resident application        and transmit confirmation of an exit of the jurisdiction.

Moreover, although some examples herein discuss the context of anaircraft 120A, the present inventive concepts are not limited thereto.Rather, some embodiments may provide verification of the presence of apassenger on board a car, train, bus, or other land-based transportationvehicle 120. Additionally or alternatively, although some examplesherein discuss a smartphone 101S, a laptop computer, a tablet computer,or any other portable, wireless electronic device with communicationscapability may be used.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the verification/use of the onboardpresence of a passenger may be omitted from one or more operationsdescribed herein. For example, the arrival of a passenger at adestination, and/or the authorization/verification of a duty-freepurchase at a remote location different from the location where thepurchase was initiated, may be confirmed/completed in a method thatomits the identification/confirmation of the onboard presence of thepassenger.

Additionally or alternatively, the passenger may, in some embodiments,provide biometric data by opening/unlocking the wireless electronicdevice 101, such as by a fingerprint scan or face (and/or retina) scanof the passenger that opens/unlocks the wireless electronic device 101.Accordingly, biometric data that is used/transmitted according to thepresent inventive concepts to confirm the location/identity of thepassenger may be data that is generated/provided when the passengeropens/unlocks the wireless electronic device 101.

A variety of different embodiments of the present inventive conceptshave been disclosed herein, in connection with the above description andthe drawings. It will be understood that it would be unduly repetitiousand obfuscating to literally describe and illustrate every combinationand subcombination of these embodiments. Accordingly, the presentspecification, including the drawings, shall be construed to constitutea complete written description of all combinations and subcombinationsof the embodiments of the present inventive concepts described herein,and of the manner and process of making and using them, and shallsupport claims to any such combination or subcombination.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“connected,” “coupled,” or “responsive” to another element, it can bedirectly connected, coupled, or responsive to the other element orintervening elements may be present. Furthermore, “connected,”“coupled,” or “responsive” as used herein may include wirelesslyconnected, coupled, or responsive.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments of the present inventive concepts only and is not intendedto be limiting of the present inventive concepts. As used herein, thesingular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the pluralforms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be furtherunderstood that the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or“comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence ofstated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but donot preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As usedherein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one ormore of the associated listed items. The symbol “/” is also used as ashorthand notation for “and/or.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which the present inventive conceptsbelong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those definedin commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaningthat is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant artand the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealizedor overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

It will be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” maybe used herein to describe various elements, these elements should notbe limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish oneelement from another element. Thus, a first element could be termed asecond element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a firstelement without departing from the teachings of the present inventiveconcepts.

A variety of different embodiments of the present inventive conceptshave been disclosed herein, in connection with the above description andthe drawings. It will be understood that it would be unduly repetitiousand obfuscating to literally describe and illustrate every combinationand subcombination of these embodiments. Accordingly, the presentspecification, including the drawings, shall be construed to constitutea complete written description of all combinations and subcombinationsof the embodiments of the present inventive concepts described herein,and of the manner and process of making and using them, and shallsupport claims to any such combination or subcombination.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed exampleembodiments of the present inventive concepts. Although specific termsare employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only andnot for purposes of limitation, the scope of the present inventiveconcepts being defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of verifying, via a server, an onboardpresence of a passenger of a transportation vehicle, the methodcomprising: receiving at the server, information associated with atransaction to purchase one or more items, wherein the transaction wasinitiated via a wireless electronic device at a physical store;receiving at the server, via a wireless communications link, from thewireless electronic device of the passenger, different first and seconddata indicating the onboard presence of the passenger, wherein theserver is remote from the transportation vehicle; processing thedifferent first and second data indicating the onboard presence of thepassenger at the server to generate a result indicating an authorizationto complete the transaction to purchase the one or more items; andtransmitting the result of the processing from the server to a thirdparty, wherein the result comprises the authorization to complete thetransaction to purchase the one or more items initiated via the wirelesselectronic device at a first location; and completing, via the wirelesselectronic device that is at a second location corresponding to theonboard presence of the passenger, the transaction in response to theauthorization to complete the transaction, wherein the first location isdifferent from the second location.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe processing comprises comparing the different first and second datawith predetermined values corresponding to the transportation vehicle.3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving at the server,from the wireless electronic device of the passenger, third dataindicating that the passenger has arrived at a destination.
 4. Acomputer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer readablestorage medium comprising computer readable program code therein thatwhen executed by a processor causes the processor to perform theclaim
 1. 5. A method of verifying, via a server, an onboard presence ofa passenger of a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:receiving at the server, information associated with a transaction topurchase one or more items, wherein the transaction was initiated via awireless electronic device at a physical store; receiving at the server,via a wireless communications link, from the wireless electronic deviceof the passenger at a second physical location that is on board thetransportation vehicle, different first and second data indicating theonboard presence of the passenger, wherein the server is remote from thetransportation vehicle; processing the different first and second dataindicating the onboard presence of the passenger at the server togenerate a result indicating an authorization to complete thetransaction to purchase the one or more items, wherein the processingcomprises comparing the different first and second data withpredetermined values corresponding to the transportation vehicle; andtransmitting the result of the processing from the server to a thirdparty, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the authorizationto complete the transaction to purchase the one or more items initiatedvia the wireless electronic device at a first physical locationcomprising the physical store, and completing, via the wirelesselectronic device while at the second physical location corresponding tothe onboard presence of the passenger, the transaction in response tothe authorization to complete the transaction, wherein the firstphysical location is different from the second physical location.
 6. Amethod of verifying, via a server, an onboard presence of a passenger ofa transportation vehicle, the method comprising: receiving at theserver, information associated with a transaction to purchase one ormore items, wherein the transaction was initiated via a wirelesselectronic device at a physical store; receiving at the server, via awireless communications link, from the wireless electronic device of thepassenger, different first and second data indicating the onboardpresence of the passenger, wherein the server is remote from thetransportation vehicle; processing the different first and second dataindicating the onboard presence of the passenger at the server togenerate a result indicating an authorization to complete thetransaction to purchase the one or more items, wherein the processingcomprises comparing the different first and second data withpredetermined values corresponding to the transportation vehicle;receiving at the server, from the wireless electronic device of thepassenger, third data indicating that the passenger has arrived at adestination; transmitting the result of the processing from the serverto a third party, responsive to receiving the third data indicating thatthe passenger has arrived at the destination, wherein the transmittingthe result comprises transmitting the authorization to complete thetransaction to purchase the one or more items initiated via the wirelesselectronic device at the physical store; and completing, via thewireless electronic device, the transaction in response to theauthorization to complete the transaction.